How Indoor Plants Can Enhance a Sensory-Friendly Home
The environment can significantly impact the well-being of people with sensory sensitivities. Bright lights, loud sounds, and chaotic spaces can feel overwhelming, while calming surroundings can provide relief. One simple and natural way to create a soothing home environment is by incorporating houseplants. Plants not only add beauty to a space but also offer various sensory benefits that can be especially helpful for those who experience sensory overload. Here’s how having plants around the house can help people with sensory sensitivities.
1. Calming Visuals
Houseplants bring a sense of tranquility and natural beauty to a home, which can help reduce stress and anxiety. Their gentle shapes and green hues are soothing to the eyes, creating a more calming visual atmosphere than stark or cluttered spaces.
- Softens Harsh Spaces: Adding plants can soften the appearance of sharp edges, bright lights, or sterile areas, making a room feel more comfortable.
- Color Therapy: Green is often associated with relaxation and balance. Green plants can have a calming effect on the nervous system, which may help those who are easily visually overstimulated.
2. Improved Air Quality
Plants can help purify the air by absorbing toxins and releasing oxygen, creating a fresher indoor atmosphere. Improved air quality can also reduce irritants that contribute to discomfort for people with sensitivities.
- Natural Humidifiers: Certain plants, like peace lilies and Boston ferns, release moisture into the air, which can help with dry indoor environments that may aggravate sensory sensitivities.
- Reduction of Allergens and Pollutants: Some houseplants can filter out common indoor air pollutants, making the air feel cleaner and potentially reducing reactions to dust or chemical sensitivities.
3. Soothing Textures
Touching and interacting with plants can provide a grounding tactile experience. For those sensitive to certain textures, choosing plants with leaves that feel pleasant to touch can offer a sensory break.
- Soft-Leafed Plants: Plants like lamb’s ear (Stachys byzantine) or certain types of succulents have soft, fuzzy leaves that are soothing to the touch.
- Textural Variety: Mixing different types of plants with varied leaf textures can create a multi-sensory, engaging experience without being overwhelming.
4. Natural Sound Dampeners
Indoor plants can act as natural sound absorbers, helping to reduce background noise and echo in a room. For individuals sensitive to sound, this can make the home quieter and more peaceful.
- Sound Absorption: Large, leafy plants such as rubber trees or monstera can help absorb noise, making the environment less acoustically overwhelming.
- Creating Quiet Zones: Arranging plants around areas where you want to relax, such as a reading nook, can help create a sense of quiet by buffering outside noise.
5. Engaging Your Sense of Smell
Some houseplants can provide pleasant, natural scents far less overwhelming than artificial air fresheners or candles. The subtle aroma of herbs or flowering plants can enhance the sensory experience without triggering sensitivities.
- Aromatic Herbs: Growing herbs like lavender, mint, or rosemary indoors can offer gentle, calming scents with therapeutic properties, such as reducing anxiety or promoting sleep.
- Fragrant Flowers: Plants like jasmine or gardenia can add a light, natural fragrance to your home that’s soothing for people with olfactory sensitivities.
6. Promoting Mindfulness and Grounding
Interacting with plants through watering, pruning, or simply observing them can be a grounding activity that helps bring you back to the present moment. This can be especially beneficial for those with sensory sensitivities who may sometimes feel overwhelmed or disconnected.
- Routine Care as a Calming Practice: Regularly caring for plants can provide a mindful routine that brings a sense of calm and structure to your day.
- Connection to Nature: Being around plants fosters a connection to the natural world, which has been shown to reduce stress and promote well-being.
7. Low-Stimulation Design Element
Unlike some décor or art pieces, which can be visually stimulating, plants offer a low-stimulation design option that enhances the environment without adding to sensory overload.
- Natural Aesthetics Over Clutter: Houseplants can fill space in a room without adding clutter, helping create a balanced and harmonious atmosphere.
- Simple Arrangement: Even a few well-placed plants can make a room feel more inviting and calming without overwhelming the senses.
Tips for Choosing the Right Houseplants
To get the most benefits from having plants in your home, consider the following tips when selecting houseplants for sensory-friendly spaces:
- Low-Maintenance Options: To keep the experience stress-free, choose plants that require minimal care, such as snake plants, pothos, or ZZ plants.
- Self-Watering Systems: So you don’t have to worry too much about their care, you can get self-watering systems such as glass self-watering system spikes or self-watering planters.
- Non-Toxic Varieties: If you have pets or young children, opt for non-toxic plants like spider plants, Boston ferns, or African violets.
- Placement Matters: Place plants where you spend the most time or need the most calming effect, such as your bedroom or home office.
Incorporating houseplants into your living space is a simple yet effective way to create a sensory-friendly environment. From their calming visuals and air-purifying qualities to their natural sound absorption and tactile benefits, plants can be a valuable addition for anyone seeking a more soothing home. For individuals with sensory sensitivities, having plants around can help bring comfort and balance to daily life, making the home a true sanctuary.
